Ask a question, get an answer

[danofarlington]

I recently picked up a nice old Borsalino Castoro, which lead to a search to see if the beaver content was ever determined. I came up empty. Has anyone been able to determine how much beaver went into a 1940s Castoro XX?
Thanks

Because "castoro" means "beaver," I would venture to say that you have a 100% beaver hat there. Castoro is probably not a Borsalino brand name.

 

[zetwal]

Because "castoro" means "beaver," I would venture to say that you have a 100% beaver hat there. Castoro is probably not a Borsalino brand name.

What makes you think that a XX Borsalino is 100% beaver? I personally think it's more likely to be a blend of some sort. But however you slice it, old XX Borsalinos can be really nice hats.

 

[alanfgag]

Because "castoro" means "beaver," I would venture to say that you have a 100% beaver hat there. Castoro is probably not a Borsalino brand name.

Ah... The romance of X's and beavers. From the vantage point of my limited experience with Borso X designations, XX was at the low end and XXXXXX was high.

 

[danofarlington]

I guess I didn't see the Xs. I thought it was just "castoro." I didn't know Borsalino played the X game.

 

[Felt and Straw]

Thanks all. I did quickly check out the other relevant appearing threads as well as doing a general search.
I know x ment different things at different times with American manufacturers but wasn't sure what it ment for an old borso. I didn't realize they went up to 6x either. Mine is a is a great felt, and to my relatively uneducated touch is not 100% beaver.

 

[alanfgag]

I really don't know if one can touch a hat and make a positive identification of pure beaver by feel... though it seems to be attempted a lot.

I recently brought a small collection of nice hats to my very experienced local hatter who felt them and pronounced them all to be 100% beaver. I am pretty sure that is not correct. I have 2 Stetson 100s and 3 Stetson 7X clear beaver quality hats which feel similar to each other and are, by local legend, identified as 100% beaver. I have a few other high quality older hats that I suspect are beaver felts and that feel and respond nothing at all like the Stetsons. Certainly there are many on the Lounge, including some professional hatters, who have a wealth of experience way beyond my own dabbling. They may well be able to identify a 100% beaver felt at 100 yards.

My guess is that "the feel" of the felt in a particular hat model was made with style in mind, and that hat alchemists made magic from many different fur types depending on price, availability and fashion.

 

[rlk]

Castoro is simply Beaver. They wouldn't label it that if it wasn't--Borsalino didn't do the "Beaver Quality" game. All the X Borsalino hats I've seen have been Velours. The number of X's seems unrelated to quality level.

 

[mayserwegener]

What makes you think that a XX Borsalino is 100% beaver? I personally think it's more likely to be a blend of some sort. But however you slice it, old XX Borsalinos can be really nice hats.

I know some German made hats with beaver content are marked Biber (German for beaver). Supposedly they were beaver, rabbit and hare blend with beaver being the smaller portion.

 

[alanfgag]

I've only seen the X designation in velours as well, but have seen both XX and XXXXX in the Marque Grand Luxe velours... do you think it varied to indicate something other than quality (or price point?) I've only handled 5X hats in person.

 

[danofarlington]

I am enchanted by the felt on all the vintage hats I have. I like them whether beaver or not. Of course, the few beaver hats I have, old and new, give me an extra charge. But I am in no way disappointed with the felt of a non-beaver hat. That's part of the fun.

 

[Neophyte]

Would a Stetson No. 1 be considered a dress hat or a western?

I've seen more and more of these recently, from Lefty's dark hat to Dinerman's several examples to Douglas's natural one. The curl on the brim is throwing me for a loop, and I'm not sure how to classify it. I suspect it's a western style though.
Here's a pic of Lefty's (hope this is a Stetson No. 1, or I've been quite silly ):

 

[Lefty]

Mine is a Nutria Quality, though that same style has been made in No. 1 and, probably, other qualities. It's also just a general style, sometimes called Columbia. JtL has an older Stetson in the same style - a No. 1, I think. I've always thought of them as western hats.

 

[Neophyte]

Thanks, Lefty! That hat looks great on you, and I was thinking of getting something similar custom made .

 

[Hereward]

Somewhere in this forum is the answer to this questiion but I have searched in vain and not found it: false links abound for some reason.

I have the makings of a wind trolley from an open road hat separate from the hat. Having never seen one in working condition and affixed to the hat, I have no idea how to do this. Would anyone put me out of my misery please? What do I sew where and how do I put the rest on the hat?

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

here you go:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?27690-Installing-Wind-Cords

 

[bowlerman]

Does anyone else experience that dog and cat hair attract to wool felt hats more than fur? Yet another reason to go fur, I suppose.

 

[Lefty]

???
Fake or rare?

 

[rlk]

stray tag from?
Various shops including tailoring--not hats.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...pg=6061,4735515&dq=tailored+at+alcatraz&hl=en

 

[Lefty]

I also found old joke labels on etsy. It's not exactly the same, but the idea was out there.

 

[zetwal]

I also found old joke labels [...]

Exactly. Those are amusing!

Notice how "bought on credit" used to be funny. My how things have changed.